1 Chronicles 23

1 When David was old and near the end of his life, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

And David being old and full of days, made Solomon his son king over Israel.

2 He gathered together all the leaders of Israel, with the priests and Levites.

And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, and the priests and Levites.

3 The Levites who were thirty years old and older were counted. They numbered thirty-eight thousand.

And the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years, and upwards: and there were found of them thirty-eight thousand men.

4 “Of these, twenty-four thousand were to oversee the work of Yahweh's house, and six thousand were officers and judges.

Of these twenty-four thousand were chosen, and distributed unto the ministry of the house of the Lord: and six thousand were the overseers and judges.

5 Four thousand were gatekeepers, and four thousand were to praise Yahweh with the instruments that I made to give praise,” David said.

Moreover four thousand were porters: and as many singers singing to the Lord with the instruments, which he had made to sing with.

6 He divided them into groups that corresponded to Levi's sons: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

And David distributed them into courses by the families of the sons of Levi, to wit, of Gerson, and of Caath, and of Merari.

7 From the clans descended from Gershon, there were Ladan and Shimei.

The sons of Gerson were Leedan and Semei.

8 There were three of Ladan's sons: Jehiel the leader, Zetham, and Joel.

The sons of Leedan: the chief Jahiel, and Zethan, and Joel, three.

9 There were three of Shimei's sons: Shelomoth, Haziel, and Haran. These were the leaders of the clans of Ladan.

The sons of Semei: Salomith, and Hosiel, and Aran, three: these were the heads of the families of Leedan.

10 There were four of Shimei's sons: Jahath, Ziza, Jeush, and Beriah.

And the sons of Semei were Leheth, and Ziza, and Jaus, and Baria: these were the sons of Semei, four.

11 Jahath was the oldest, and Ziza the second, but Jeush and Beriah did not have many sons, so they were considered as one clan with the same duties.

And Leheth was the first, Ziza the second: but Jaus and Baria had not many children, and therefore they were counted in one family, and in one house.

12 There were four of Kohath's sons: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

The sons of Caath were Amram, and Isaar, Hebron, and Oziel, four.

13 These were Amram's sons: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was chosen to set apart the most holy things, that he and his descendants would offer incense before Yahweh, to serve him and to give blessings in his name forever.

The sons of Amram, Aaron, and Moses. And Aaron was separated to minister in the holy of holies, he and his sons for ever, and to burn incense before the Lord, according to his ceremonies, and to bless his name for ever.

14 But as for Moses the man of God, his sons were considered to be Levites.

The sons also of Moses, the man of God, were numbered in the tribe of Levi.

15 Moses' sons were Gershom and Eliezer.

The sons of Moses were Gersom and Eliezer:

16 Gershom's descendant was Shubael the oldest.

The sons of Gersom: Subuel the first.

17 Eliezer's descendant was Rehabiah. Eliezer had no other sons, but Rehabiah had many descendants.

And the sons of Eliezer were: Rohobia the first: and Eliezer had no more sons. But the sons of Rohobia were multiplied exceedingly.

18 Izhar's son was Shelomith the leader.

The sons of Isaar: Salomith the first.

19 Hebron's descendants were Jeriah, the oldest, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

The sons of Hebron: Jeriau the first, Amarias the second, Jahaziel the third, Jecmaam the fourth.

20 Uzziel's sons were Micah the oldest, and Ishijah the second.

The sons of Oziel: Micha the first, Jesia the second.

21 Merari's sons were Mahli and Mushi. Mahli's sons were Eleazar and Kish.

The sons of Merari: Moholi, and Musi. The sons of Moholi: Eleazar and Cia.

22 Eleazar died without having any sons. He had only daughters. The sons of Kish married them.

And Eleazar died, and had no sons but daughters: and the sons of Cis their brethren took them.

23 Mushi's three sons were Mahli, Eder, and Jerimoth.

The sons of Musi: Moholi, and Eder, and Jerimoth, three.

24 These were Levi's descendants corresponding to their clans. They were the leaders, counted and listed by name, of the clans that did the work in the service of Yahweh's house, from twenty years old and upward.

These are the sons of Levi in their kindreds and families, princes by their courses, and the number of every head that did the works of the ministry of the house of the Lord from twenty years old and upward.

25 For David said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, has given rest to his people. He makes his home in Jerusalem forever.

For David said: The Lord the God of Israel hath given rest to his people, and a habitation in Jerusalem for ever.

26 The Levites will no longer need to carry the tabernacle and all the equipment used in its service.”

And it shall not be the office of the Levites to carry any more the tabernacle, and all the vessels for the service thereof.

27 For by David's last words the Levites were counted, from twenty years old and upward.

So according to the last precepts of David, the sons of Levi are to be numbered from twenty years old and upward.

28 Their duty was to assist Aaron's descendants in the service of Yahweh's house. They were to care for the courtyards, the rooms, the ceremonial purification of all the things that belong to Yahweh, and other work in the service of God's house.

And they are to be under the hand of the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the Lord, in the porches, and in the chambers, and in the place of purification, and in the sanctuary, and in all the works of the ministry of the temple of the Lord.

29 They also took care of the bread of the presence, the fine flour for grain offerings, the unleavened wafers, the baked offerings, the offerings mixed with oil, and all the measuring of the amounts and sizes of things.

And the priests have the charge of the leaves of proposition, and of the sacrifice of fine flour, and of the unleavened cakes, and of the fryingpan, and of the roasting, and of every weight and measure.

30 They also stood every morning to thank and praise Yahweh. They also did this in the evening

And the Levites are to stand in the morning to give thanks, and to sing praises to the Lord: and in like manner in the evening,

31 and whenever burnt offerings were offered to Yahweh, on the Sabbath and at the new moon festivals and feast days. A fixed number, assigned by decree, always had to be present before Yahweh.

As well in the oblation of the holocausts of the Lord, as in the sabbaths and in the new moons, and the rest of the solemnities, according to the number and ceremonies prescribed for every thing, continually before the Lord.

32 They were in charge of the tent of meeting, the holy place, and helped their fellow descendants of Aaron in the service of Yahweh's house.

And let them keep the observances of the tabernacle of the covenant, and the ceremonies of the sanctuary, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren, that they may minister in the house of the Lord.